Devilbane Impediment: What's "double the hypnotic stare penalty applied by the devilbane gaze improvement"?


Rules Questions


Quote:
Devilbane gazes can be selected beginning at 3rd level as options for the mesmerist’s bold stare improvements. They tend to be more limited in their scope than standard bold stare improvements, but cut to the core of an outsider’s being. When a devilbane gaze is used against a creature with the outsider type, double the hypnotic stare penalty applied by the devilbane gaze improvement (but not the Will save penalty the original hypnotic stare imposes).
Quote:
Devilbane Impediment: The target of your hypnotic stare must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 15 + the level of the spell) to activate any of its spell-like abilities (but not standard spellcasting). If the target fails the check, the spell-like ability doesn’t function but is still expended.

What's doubling the penalty here? I'd use doubling the DC since that's the only way this is even a threat to outsiders (who tend to have pretty high charisma scores) with relevant SLAs that auto-pass the default check, but it's not very clear.


There isn't anything to double in that case. It works the same against outsiders as it does other creatures. In other words, sloppy design/editing.


You're doubling the penalty given by the devilbane gaze improvement... which is -2, upgraded to -3 at level 8 (see hypnotic stare section), regardless of which ability you choose. So for the one you picked, devilbane impediment, the outsider target takes a -4 (or a -6, if you're level 8+) to his concentration checks for Spell-like abilities, but not normal spellcasting. The DC for the check stays the same, you're just giving them a penalty to the check. Doubling the DC would be broken as a swift action...


blahpers wrote:
There isn't anything to double in that case. It works the same against outsiders as it does other creatures. In other words, sloppy design/editing.

The penalty from hypnotic stare is what it's doubling.... the -2 or -3 that normally is applied to will saves *also* effects the target's concentration checks.... meaning their new concentration check for their SLA's is 1d20 + caster level + casting modifier - 2 or 3 (x2 if targeting an outsider)


Or, upon further consideration, forced concentration checks at a range for SLA's is pretty decent, and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Distracted Bold Stare augmentation, which would essentially function the way written above, with a potential argument to double the penalty if your GM is nice

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